Building a Mystery
by angelsinstead
Summary: Remington Steele arrives in Salem to view the grave of his ancestor, the infamous Cotton Mather. He isn't alone at the grave. Something is compelling him to find out the truth.
1. The Other Anne

_Author's Note- This story was written for the Mysterious Fall Challenge. It is a crossover of Remington Steele and Salem. I don't own either of the shows. This was written for entertainment only._

 **Chapter One  
~ The Other Anne**

At dusk, Remington Steele arrived in Salem wearing a black business suit and a dark-blue tie. He had travelled for three days as a chilling rain had beat down upon his windshield with a crazy, almost haunting forgotten song. The sky grew dark and gloomy as he reached his destination, the site of the Salem witch trials. He was drawn to the nearby graveyard with its bent and weathered tombstones. As he exited his car, he walked up to the iron gate, a strange feeling of foreboding attacking his sensitive, sleuthing senses. He had come to the gravesite of his long-lost ancestor, the infamous Cotton Mather.

As he stood in the creepy old cemetery, he felt as if the tiny dark hairs were slowly rising up on the back of his neck. Why was he here? What had driven him to this particular place?

It had all started when Daniel had died. After he and Laura had wed, he had wanted to search for himself, the true man behind the mask. Who was he really... and where did he belong? Once he knew that Daniel was his father, he was seeking his people and his sense of self. He had discovered by searching old records that Cotton Mather had been an ancestor of his. He was descended from Cotton Mather's son, Samuel Mather. As Remington's obsession about his family heritage grew, his relationship with Laura had begun to unravel. Ultimately, he left her in Los Angeles without a word, going to seek a part of himself he had never known. All of his life he had gone without a name - without a true identity. He felt he couldn't love Laura with a full heart - not until he knew the truth which had always been his dark and secret obsession.

Something had drove him here - to Salem - and he was determined to know the truth about himself and about his ancestors. As he stood over the crumbling grave of Cotton Mather, a sudden breeze blew at his nape, making him feel chilled and uneasy. Who was this man beneath the soil? What had his life been like? Had he had dreams... and wishes? How exactly had he died?

As the many questions assaulted him, he was joined at the gravesite by a woman with bright red hair. She was dressed all in black. Her lips were bright red. Those lips were only color on her face besides the gleam in her eyes - those striking dark eyes which had the power to see deep into a man's soul. "Who are you?" he asked as he turned to look at her.

"My name is Anne. Anne Hale," she said in a voice that drew him only deeper into the web of her mystery. She seemed a spirit of old and he was haunted by her beauty and her elegance. "I am a descendant of the original Anne Hale, who became Cotton Mather's wife. Sadly, they were separated, due to tragedy ... and betrayal..."

Her voice trailed off, one of great sadness. Remington's blue eyes shot to her, trying to read her guarded and strained expression.

"While you're here in Salem, you can stay with me," she offered. "I know who you are."

"How can you possibly know who I am?"

"You're Remington Steele, the great private investigator from Los Angeles. You're in all the papers."

"And..." she added. "You're a descendant of Cotton Mather... his father, Increase Mather, and his son, Samuel Mather."

Remington raised an eyebrow, quite entranced with all this young woman knew about him and his heritage. "How can you possibly know all of that?" he demanded.

"I am a descendant of a witch. I know these things," she said with a little laugh.

"I don't believe in witches. It's made up... a fairytale."

"Believe what you will. Cotton believed... and so did his father. Increase and Cotton drove all the witches from Salem. Many died. Some hung over there..." She pointed to the nearby trees. "While others burned..."

Remington swallowed with remorse. "Not a pleasant thought."

"Please... will you stay with me?" Anne asked. "I am living in one of the last original homes which actually stood during the Salem witch trials. It was the great home of the Reverend Cotton Mather and his beloved wife, the other Anne."

Remington couldn't possibly refuse. He wanted to explore the home of his ancestor. He wanted to find out everything he could possibly know about Cotton Mather. It would be the _perfect_ place to stay while he searched for the information he sought.

"I'd love to stay with you," he said as he followed her out of the cemetery and toward her home.

As they walked, she turned to him. He stopped in his tracks when she said something quite peculiar. "You know there is something about you..." she said as she stared into his eyes. "You look like him, you know. I can see a faint resemblance."

He bit his tongue in disbelief. "I've seen all the portraits," she said as he appeared visibly shocked by her words. "They hang upon all of the walls of my house."

"And how did you acquire the home?"

"I am a descendant of his wife, the first Anne. She lived alone and perished, after his death. A life without her dearest; it was misery."

He said nothing as they neared the wooden picket fence of the house in question - the mansion belonging to Cotton Mather and his wife Anne. It looked like a church which had been transformed into a house. A force unlike anything before was drawing Remington inside its very walls.

"What's your real name?" she asked, her hand upon the gate, bright red hair moving about her face as if it were a living thing, caught up in the breeze.

"Just call me Remington... Remington Steele."

She smiled then ... or rather, she grinned as if she knew _everything_ and could see inside his soul. She unnerved him. She was a strange one - a mystery herself and one he intended to unravel. All he needed first was a little sleep; and once inside the house, he intended to have it.


	2. Cotton Mather's Broken Heart

**Chapter Two ~ Cotton Mather's Broken Heart  
**

She had taken him to her home in Salem, an ancient structure that had once been attached to a church where Cotton Mather had preached his sermons opposing witches. "You can sleep in the attic..." said Anne. "... which was Cotton Mather's bedroom."

As they entered the dimly-lit parlor, Remington noticed a portrait of Cotton Mather above the fireplace mantle. It seemed sort of like a shrine with crosses and relics on the ledge of the fireplace, all of which had once belonged to the infamous reverend.  
The painting was surrounded by dozens of dancing candles.

"Did Cotton Mather and his wife Anne have any children?" Remington questioned.

"That is a long story," she spoke with a hint of sadness.

She said nothing as she lead him up the steep staircase. Lining the walls were portraits of the late reverend and his beautiful wife Anne. She looked like an identical twin to the modern day Anne with her red-gold hair and her lively dark eyes. Some of the portraits depicted Anne and Cotton's wedding, while another showed Anne heavily pregnant as Cotton caressed the growing mound which was her stomach. The reverend had a smile of bliss upon his face. As Remington stopped in his tracks, staring at the brightly colored portrait with a questioning look, Anne averted her eyes.

"Are you drawn to the spirits of alcohol, just like your ancestor, Cotton Mather?" Anne asked when they had arrived at the top of the stairs and entered the attic bedroom.

Remington noticed all the decanters of whiskey which set upon almost every surface within the spacious bedroom. "No, I have an occasional drink, but I..."

His words trailed off as he wondered how this Anne could possibly know such personal information about his descendant. Was THAT written in all the history books? Had Remington's ancestor been a drunk?

"Tell me, Anne... how was it that Cotton Mather died?" Remington asked.

"Of a broken heart," she said as she walked away, sorrow written deep within her expression.

She closed the door behind her, leaving Remington alone in the attic which had once been his ancestor's personal space. As he made his way over to the bed, he lay down to rest upon its mattress, his thoughts turning toward the modern-day Anne. Who _exactly_ was she? And why did she look as though she were a twin to the other Anne in all those paintings?

The mysteries of the past were making his brain work overtime, but he'd have to solve all his questions in the morning. He was determined he would explore the house in the daylight. Until then, he would sleep. Remington Steele was exhausted. His last thoughts were of Laura alone in Los Angeles. Would she ever forgive him for running off on her while he was chasing down a dream?

He closed his eyes as he began to dose. He was sleeping soundly until he was awakened in the middle of the night by a blood-curdling scream. "Anne?" he spoke as he sat up in the bed. The screams were chilling. They seemed to be coming from somewhere close by. Remington crawled out of bed. He had no other choice; he had to investigate.


	3. The Mysterious Book

**Chapter Three ~ The Mysterious Book**

As Remington made his way down the staircase from the attic, he followed the sound of the shrill screams. He came to a bedroom on the second floor. The door was slightly ajar. Gingerly, he stepped inside, finding Anne Hale lying there on the bed. She was tossing and turning while crying out in her sleep. "Cotton! Cotton!" she called out loudly. "I'm so sorry. Please forgive me!"

Remington stood in the doorway, taking in her words. "I am sorry about Goriana and the baby! I am so sorry I betrayed you!" Anne exclaimed in her sleep.

Eventually the screaming stopped and Anne had awakened fully, finding him there in doorway. "Who is Gloriana?" Remington asked.

Anne looked disoriented at first as she sat up in the bed. Her red-gold hair was a tangled mess. "That must have been some dream," Remington commented.

"Yes, yes... it _was_ a dream," she said as he saw tell-tale tears shining within her eyes. She was visibly shaken by her nightmare.

"Who is Gloriana?" Remington asked again. "You mentioned her name in your sleep."

A look of incredible pain settled within Anne's already sorrow-filled eyes. "Your ancestor, the great Cotton Mather, often frequented a prostitute by the name of Gloriana, before he and Anne were married."

"What happened to Gloriana?"

"Increase Mather, Cotton's father, had Gloriana sent away from Salem. He never knew..."

"He never knew what?"

"It doesn't matter," said Anne. "I am sorry that my screams awakened you."

Remington was baffled by her odd dream and why she seemed so shaken by events that had to have happened over a century ago. The way she spoke was odd as if the past wasn't really the past. It was as if all that had occurred long ago had never really ended. It was affecting her somehow, even though she claimed to be _just_ an ancestor of the first Anne.

"Did Anne and Cotton have any children?" He repeated his earlier question.

Anne didn't seem pleased as he continued with that particular line of inquiry. "A child was born. A son. His name was Samuel."

"So that would mean that your ancestor Anne is distantly related to MY ancestor, Samuel?"

She did not answer that question. She just stared at him blankly. "Please return to the attic bedroom, Mr. Steele. We both need some sleep..."

"I hope the rest of your night passes pleasantly," he said before he left her room.

He had no intention of returning to the attic to sleep. It was time he started his investigation. He needed to discover what was hidden within the ancient walls of the Reverend Cotton Mather's home. He found himself wishing for Laura's direction as he wondered where he must search first within the home. "Ahhhh Laura, if only you were here," he spoke quietly to himself as he began to explore.

The first place he decided to investigate was the family library. It was filled with hundreds of dusty books on numerous bookshelves. Thankfully, Anne slept throughout the day, so he was free to search through the many books without her interference. To his surprise, he found an a very large, worn book entitled Anne Hale's Book of Shadows. When he opened the book, he discovered that every single yellowed, crumbling page was empty. It was just page after page of nothingness. "How strange," he said to himself as the book in itself was yet another mystery. Why would anyone keep an empty book with no words written upon its countless pages?

As he flipped through the pages, he stumbled upon a letter that had been tucked inside the binding. It appeared to be a suicide note, written by the first beautiful Anne Hale. With eyes full of shock, Remington began to read the letter. It said-

 _My Dearest Cotton,_

 _It is with the greatest and utmost sorrow that I must write this letter to you, the last letter that will ever be written by my hand. I need to let you know that I can no longer live with this horrendous pain. The guilt of what I have done burns inside me like a flaming torch. I apologize sincerely for the hurt and betrayal I have caused to you and your precious Gloriana. I assure you that no matter what I have done, she is safe and living in Boston. As for Samuel, our darling boy, please care for him and love him in my absence. I couldn't have loved him any more. I swear that everything I have done in regards to our sweet Samuel, I have done out of love. There is no other I have loved more except for you, my dearest Cotton. Please forgive me for all the pain and deception. It ends tonight. I will no longer torture you with my presence. You won't have to look upon the woman who has betrayed you. I cannot bear the disdain I see within your eyes... those eyes that once looked at me with an immeasurable love. When you find this letter, I will be gone... I will be burning in hell, just as you predicted. Forever I will love you, my dearest Cotton..._

 _Always yours,  
Your once beloved Anne  
_  
Remington pocketed the letter, knowing that it had revealed more of the mystery, but he still didn't know all of the answers. There had to be more. The next place he chose to search was the basement. What mysteries would he uncover amongst the darkness and cobwebs? He was anxious to see if there might be anything hidden within the darkest shadows.


	4. VooDoo Dolls

**_Chapter Four ~ VooDoo Dolls  
_**

 **The stairs leading down to the basement consisted of crumbling stone. Remington held a flashlight in his hand to brighten the gloom. The cold, dank cellar had not seen the light of day in many years. It was filled with wispy cobwebs and smelled of something decaying and dead. "What have I gotten myself into, coming down here like this?" Remington said to himself as he once again thought of his beautiful Laura who was all alone and waiting for his return in Los Angeles. She should be beside him, trying to untangle this strange mystery... but he had left her behind and regret for his actions burned in his chest. He knew she belonged with him. He was madly in love with her.**

 **As he approached what appeared to be a casket in the cellar, his curiosity could not hold him back. He opened the creaky lid to reveal something gruesomely awful - a horrifying, rotting corpse. The corpse appeared to be female. It was wearing a long satin gown. Was it the original Anne Hale, Gloriana or someone else? Remington knew he had to know all the answers and he refused to rest until he had solved the mystery, yet something told him that the current Anne whom he had left sleeping upstairs was somehow a part of the crazy occurrences. After hearing her call out in that dream, he did not trust her. What part had she played in this odd chain of events? Did she have something to do with the decaying corpse who lay within the casket?**

 **He decided to creep back upstairs to check on Anne. When he peeked into her bedroom, he found her talking to a hideous doll which had been formed out of corn husks. What the hell was that?! Some sort of VooDoo doll?**

 **Remington recoiled as she set the freaky doll down on her dresser and reached out to pick up two other dolls. He was gripped by a sudden terror. She turned to look at him, dropping the dolls down on the bed. "I've been expecting you," she said as she gave him a beautiful, but dangerous smile. "Come closer."**

 **Gingerly, Remington stepped inside the room and gradually approached the lovely Anne Hale. That is when he noticed that the dolls lying on her bed looked exactly like himself and Laura!**

 **Suddenly then he felt strangely drunk and incapacitated. He was oddly compelled to have sex with Anne. She was seducing him with her eyes. It was as if she had bewitched him. His love for his wife was screaming out to him from deep inside his soul. *LAURA!* it cried.**

 **Despite his love for Laura and his desire to remain faithful to her, he found himself wrapped up in Anne Hales's embrace. "Make love to me," she commanded as they sunk down on the bed.**


	5. Remington's Destiny

**Chapter Five ~ Remington's Destiny  
**

Remington was staring at Anne in shock when she asked him to make love to her. He wanted to join with her in ecstasy so badly, but his heart belonged to Laura. "Sorry, but I can't make love to you. I hardly even _KNOW_ you," he reminded.

Anne didn't seem pleased with his answer. She truly wanted him and she had made up her mind that she would have him. She ran a soft caress down his chest, arousing him. "You _need_ me," she said as her eyes bore into his.

"Let's go to the ballroom and dance, then you can get to know me better," Anne suggested.

Remington wanted to protest, but he really couldn't. There was something about Anne. He was undeniably drawn to her. What would one dance hurt? While he had her in his arms, he could question her more about Cotton Mather, the first Anne, and all the other mysteries.

"I'd love to dance with you," he said as he reached for her hand. "Where's the ballroom?"

Anne grasped Remington's hand as she lead him from the room, down the staircase, and into the ballroom. He forgot all about the creepy dolls in her room. He forgot all about _everything_ as he danced in her arms. A strange, erotic tune began to play from somewhere in the near distance. He stared into her eyes, becoming more and more entranced by her haunting beauty.

His lips settled onto hers as he hungrily kissed her. She was bewitching him. She had to be. He loved **LAURA**!

He pulled his lips from hers and stared into her eyes. "Anne, tell me about Gloriana." He managed to speak the words despite his deep desires. As every second passed, he struggled to keep his mind off sex and the pleasure he might find with her in the bedroom.

"Gloriana was a prostitute. She was sent away by Increase Mather, Cotton's father. It was a terrible scandal - a reverend, having relations with a lady of the night... but Cotton **loved** her. Ohhhh how he loved the beautiful Gloriana," Anne stated.

"Was the first Anne jealous? Did she kill Gloriana and place her body in a casket in the basement?" Remington dared to ask.

"Anne did _not_ kill Gloriana," Anne said. "Yes, she was jealous of the great love Cotton had for Gloriana, but she did not kill anyone. She may have made terrible choices, but everything she did, she did out of LOVE. And Anne loved Cotton - so much. So much that she was willing to sacrifice _everything_."

"What does that mean?" Remington prompted. "There's something you're not telling me... something you're leaving out."

Anne shook her head. She knew she had said enough. She had to get control of this situation... and fast. "Anne had powers. She created a spell."

"What kind of spell?"

"The one I am about to use on you now."

All the sudden it was as if Remington no longer had free-will. Her luscious body was taunting him, making him want her so fiercely that the lust could not be denied. He had to have her. And have her he did!

He lifted Anne into his arms and carried her upstairs to her bedroom. He lay her down on the bed as she gazed at him with great desire. "Make love to me NOW," she commanded him. "I need it; I need **you**."

Remington stood at the edge of the bed as he removed his clothing piece by piece. His flaming erection could not be denied. All thoughts of Laura and his love for her were swept away as Anne opened her arms to him, then she opened her legs. She was wearing no underclothing beneath her dress. As she pulled up her skirts, her warm, wet womanhood beckoned him. He mindlessly thrust into her again and again until they both drowned in a sea of ecstasy. A strange little brown mouse was watching as they made passionate love.

When it was over, Remingon was stunned. He couldn't believe what he had just done. He was lying beside Anne in her bed, feeling as though his heart might explode.

"What did you **do** to me? Was it some kind of spell?"

"I thought you didn't believe in witches."

"I didn't - until I met you. You've done something to me. I don't know what it is, but I don't like it."

As they lay in bed together in the afterglow of intense passion, she asked him to go with her to Los Angeles to a Halloween party. Remington frowned, baffled by her odd request. "My wife is there; it is the **last place** I want to go."

As if she could read his thoughts, she answered, "You **have** to go... you know your destiny is in Los Angeles."

Anne was right. He had to get back to Laura. He felt a fierce urgency to return with his wife, even if it meant he had to take Anne along for the ride. Reluctantly, Remington agreed to Anne's insane proposal. No matter what they were going to L.A.


	6. The Halloween Party

Chapter Six ~ The Halloween Party

When he arrived at the airport in L.A. with Anne, she announced they were attending a Halloween party. He raised one eyebrow. "Are you going as a witch...or did you forget your broomstick in Salem?"

"Very funny," she said with a cheeky grin. "I am going as the first Anne Hale."

"How appropriate," Remington quipped.

"I have a suit for you as well. You'll be attending dressed as Cotton Mather."

"Ohhh you're joking!" he exclaimed.

"I'm dead serious."

"Why do we have to attend this Halloween Party anyway?" he asked with reluctance.

"You'll see soon enough," answered Anne.

Remington arrived at the halloween party wearing a black suit and a fake beard and mustache that made him look a great deal like Cotton Mather. Anne wore attire befitting a wealthy woman living in the time of the Salem Witch Trials. Everyone stared at Remington as he walked in on the arm of a most gorgeous young woman. She was stunning - with her wavy russet hair and those dewy lips that could make a man fall down on his knees in surrender.

He knew that is exactly what he had done. Because of Anne, Remington had cheated on Laura. He hated himself for it, but he had been unable to stop himself. He had been bewitched by the red-haired beauty.

"How about some refreshments?" Anne said as she lead Remington over to the refreshment table. They both grabbed a glass of white wine and took a sip.

"An excellent vintage," Remington commented as he took a taste of the wine.

"Would you like to dance?" Anne asked as they were sipping their wine.

Remington almost dropped his glass when a woman walked in wearing a white gown. His heart thumped loudly in his chest when he realized that she was heavily pregnant. "Laura!" Remington gasped as he tipped his glass and some of the liquid spilled on his black leather shoes.

"Just how long have you been away from your wife? She looks like she's about eight months pregnant!" Anne stated.

"Exactly eight months," Remington replied as he continued to stare at Laura.

"Ahhhh I see... so she's carrying your child," Anne said as a bright smile overtook her face.

Remington tore his gaze off of Laura to look at his date. Anne appeared fiendishly happy with the new development.


End file.
